What is a Lync query response bot? A Lync query response bot is custom developed automation component accessible via IM where end users can query via IM for information against various databases, Internet like Bing, or even connect you with other live...

This is good news that you can be licensed for Lync IM and Presence via new Core CAL suite coming August 2011. See the upcoming CORE CAL here: *Suite components currently planned for August 2011, and would be available with active Software Assurance...

This is a question I get a lot from my customers. In addition to using the new Lync Server 2010 Planning Tool, we just shipped a few tools to help you with the sizing of your Lync servers whether physical or virtual. Two new tools have just shipped to...

I was asked this by a university in San Diego. What are the supported Lync roles that can be virtualized? All Lync Server 2010 roles can be virtualized. Here is a list of supported roles: · Instant Messaging (IM) · IM conferencing · Presence...

Marquette University was part of our early adopter program for Lync Server. They currently have deployed Lync for voice, IM/Presence and conferencing for about 1000 users on campus thus far and are targeting an additional 3000 voice endpoints on campus...

This is a great tool to analyze your Lync deployment and should be leveraged on a daily/weekly basis as part of your Lync Server operational best practices. The BPA will scan your Lync infrastructure, report errors, warnings and information about the...

A lot of my customers have been asking when this was coming since they wanted to begin planning for their virtualized and physical Lync server deployments. This tool has quite a few improvements over the RC planning tool. I pointed out some them below...

I was asked this by a university in Virginia. I found this useful matrix showing the supported video conferencing formats for Lync Server 2010. The takeaway here is the first three formats are supported with multiparty video conferencing...

There are some FREE Lync instructor led training courses that have become available to learn Lync. Sign up for these courses below: Introducing Microsoft Lync Microsoft Lync empowers users to communicate and collaborate easily using a range of tools accessible...

A question often asked by my education customers. Recently, a well respected and unbiased 3rd party network consultancy company called Miercom conducted a series of tests to validate if Lync Server 2010 could sustain 3 days of a million calls without...

In some cases you may want to reduce the workload on servers or stage deployment of all the features of Lync until …. (the servers can support the load, the network upgrade is complete, etc). When you did this in OCS 2007 R2 you had to enable GPOs to...

OK. We don’t support WMI and now the WMI script for bulk user load doesn’t work for Lync clients. I haven’t tested this myself yet but appears that Jeff Fuillet has created a script for doing this with Lync. This tool provides the same type of functionality...

It still works. I had a question today about custom states. We are still using four custom states and they are configured with the combination of registry settings and the presence XML file. 2 registry keys are needed. 1. CustomStateURL (Reg_SZ) file...

Updated 3-15-2011 with new RMX screenshots
Updated 2-18-2011 with new interop information
I was asked by a university in Oregon if we work with existing video conferencing solutions such as TANDBERG (now Cisco) and Polycom. The answer is we can...

This is pretty nice update since it is adding in updates for coexistence and cloud hybrid and cloud only scenarios if you looking at our cloud offering for Exchange Online. Here is a checklist for moving to the Office 365’s Exchange Online: Updated Coexistence...

Some cool Lync dev training available if you are looking to extend Lync into your line of business or web applications: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Microsoft Lync 2010 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 provide the communication platform for developers...

What is in this release? This release includes a huge new feature my education customers have been asking for. The ability to share a Mac desktop/PowerPoint/other desktop content with other Lync users including PC users, etc. I can think of...

You don’t have to. In Lync we have the option of setting the enhanced privacy mode where only people in your contact list can see your presence. To do this you have to change the CSPrivacyOption by set-CsPrivacyConfiguration – EnablePrivacyMode...

This was a question from a school district in Colorado looking to retire Avaya and replace with Lync Server 2010. (screenshots from Lync product team) I found this great new matrix available listing all of our Lync optimized or Communications ready IP...

This question was asked by a college based out of Florida looking to deploy Lync for their 1500 faculty and staff. They had redundant WAN links and wanted to determine what a SBA provides. Screenshots from Lync product team. If I have redundant...